Horn of Africa study group hails Turkish scholarships

By Sadik Kedir Abdu

ANKARA

The Horn of Africa Strategic Studies (HASS) has hailed Turkish scholarships attributed to research in six Horn of African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan.

The research was conducted in cooperation with the presidency for Turks abroad and related communities (YTB) the biggest scholarship provider for foreign students.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mohammed Ali Musa, HASS research team coordinator said the Turkish scholarship had an all-rounded positive impact on the lives of graduate students including socio-cultural, economic and civic engagements.

“Aside from education, the students also gained extra cultural and ethical understanding of the world from Turkey including passionate, nationalistic and hardworking characteristics,” Musa stressed, noting that they have interviewed over 100 graduate students.

He said that the research included those who have graduates who had stayed in Turkey from three up to 16 years before returning home.

Graduates are working in different prestigious places from holding government minister consultant positions up to having their own hospitals and business firms, Musa said.

“Generally speaking the Turkish scholarships have a great impact in the Horn of Africa, graduates are tied with Turkish companies, colleges or friendships in one way or another,” he underscored.

“Turkish education and experiences represent a very important milestone and a solid basis for a successful career development, be it academic or business,”

‘HASS is established by students pocket money’

The Horn of African think tank was legally established in 2016 by Ethiopian students studying in Turkey.

“We spent our pocket money to initiate HASS,” said Abdurezack Hussein, HASS director and one of the Turkish scholarship winners who is pursuing his Ph.D. in Economics at Hacettepe Universty in Ankara.

Currently with five Ph.D holder members, HASS is organized by 25 Ph.D candidates who will finish in the coming three years, he said.

According to Hussein, the students are pursuing their education in different cities of Turkey and the think tank is based in Ankara with its representatives in Istanbul.

HASS studies developmental politics and governance, international relations and diplomacy, science health, and technology, focusing on the Horn of Africa.

"We aspire to see a prosperous, stable, democratic Horn of Africa region, where human and democratic rights are upheld and social and economic rights are safeguarded," he clarified.

"HASS aims to strengthen Turkish-African relations by researching and coming up with fruitful recommendations to Turkish organizations" he added.

Remarking on Turkey’s increasing interest in the Horn, he said the opening of a military base in Somalia, the deal with Sudan regarding Suakin Island, the presence of close to half of Turkish African foreign direct investment in Ethiopia shows Ankara's growing curiosity in the Horn and Africa in general.

Suakin island is being restored by a Turkish-state-run agency

Nearly 17,000 foreign students are studying in Turkish universities on government scholarships, while over 100,000 are studying in Turkey using non-government funds, according to the latest YTB data.